Rolando Pablos

CEO of the Borderplex Alliance

At Borderplex Alliance where he is in charge of overseeing a unified bi-national effort to foster comprehensive regional economic development cooperation and collaboration within the North American Borderplex. The North American Borderplex is an international metropolitan area on the border of Mexico and the United States, and is centered around the nexus where West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Chihuahua meet.

Prior to his arrival at the Borderplex Alliance, Mr. Pablos served on the Public Utility Commission of Texas. As Commissioner, Mr. Pablos regulated the state’s electric and telecommunication utilities and had primary jurisdiction over activities conducted by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Early in his career, Mr. Pablos was general counsel to Oberthur Gaming Technologies; a multinational firm based in Montreal, Quebec. As chief legal officer, Mr. Pablos administered the legal and governmental affairs of the firm’s U.S. and Latin American operations. Most recently, he was senior advisor to the global law firm of Dentons, where he provided public policy and strategic business advisory services to domestic and international clients.

Mr. Pablos has extensive practical experience in economic development and trade promotion. His bicultural and bilingual background has enabled him to work extensively in U.S. and foreign business environments.

In 2009, the ambassador of Spain to the U.S., the Honorable Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo, appointed Mr. Pablos honorary consul to Spain. As honorary consul, Mr. Pablos played a key role in facilitating two-way trade and investment opportunities between Spain and the U.S. His main emphasis was in ensuring the formation and development of business and diplomatic relationships between the two countries.

Mr. Pablos’ substantial public service has afforded him the opportunity to serve in various leadership roles ranging from serving as chairman of the Texas Racing Commission; the Free Trade Alliance and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has served on many boards including the Nature Conservancy; the Texas Research & Technology Foundation; the Alamo Public Telecommunications Council and the Nueces River Authority. At present, Mr. Pablos serves on the boards of TerViva; the Border Trade Alliance; and the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College. Mr. Pablos is a contributing columnist for the Mexican newspaper El Universal, and most recently served as visiting scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles.

After obtaining his BA from St. Mary’s University, Mr. Pablos earned an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and an MHM from the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. Subsequently, Mr. Pablos earned his JD degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 2000. Mr. Pablos and his wife, Dr. Laura San Martin, have four children – Cristina Elizabeth, David Alan, Mia Noelle and Andrea Nicole.